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New Year, New Goals

Things got pretty hectic in December with the end of semester and Christmas break, and it’s nice to get back into a consistent routine. I’m not one to set new year’s resolutions, but there is something about a new year that is a fresh start and I’m making a few goals for myself. To help myself get back into a routine and maintain balance in my life, I’ve set three goals for the new semester. I’m hoping these will help me stay physically, emotionally, and spiritually balanced and heathy this year.

1. 10,000 steps

I’ve never been good at consistently working out or exercising. I like active things, but I’m not one to love going to the gym or going for a run. I get discouraged when I set unattainable goals that aren’t realistic to me. This year, I decided to try a new approach to exercising. My dad had a fit bit that he wasn’t using because he can now track his steps on his iPhone. He is letting me use it and it has already made me more active.

I love having a goal for my steps instead of a goal for exercising because it means that everything I do to move counts. Walking to work at a coffee shop counts. Doing jumping jacks in my apartment counts. Going to a spin class at the gym counts. The other great thing is that every day is a new day and I don’t have to worry about if I worked out yesterday or if I am planning to work out tomorrow. Each day is a new day with a fresh goal.

I’ve had the fitbit for 5 days so far and I’ve made it to 10,000 steps each day, so I’m on track so far!

2. Ideal Week

Earlier this year I listened to a Michael Hyatt podcast with a few of my coworkers about creating an Ideal Week to manage your time (if you want to listen to it, click here). I’ve never had a job before that required me to manage my own time as much as I do now. When I was a teacher, most of my day was spent teaching classes that started and ended at predetermined time. I didn’t have long stretches of time that I had to plan myself and use to get a large quantity of tasks done. In this job, there is a lot of freedom with my schedule, but that is challenging for me because I have to make my own schedule.

I am much more affective with a structure, so creating an ideal week is super helpful in keeping me on track each day. It helps me be proactive rather than reactive. I made an ideal week plan at the beginning of last semester, but I hadn’t really been here long enough to know what works. Now, I’m making adjustments based on how much time I need for things and what didn’t work last semester. It’s my goal to find an ideal week that works for me and follow that as much as possible to use my time well.

If you’d like to learn more about creating an ideal week, check out these two posts from Michael Hyatt:

3. Prayer

Breaks are always a tough time for prayer for me because I struggle to take time each day to myself when I could be hanging out with my family. As I begin the new year I want to make sure that I take time for intentional, quiet prayer each day. I’ve been using Blessed is She to read the daily readings and a reflection the last couple days. I’m also getting back into journaling, too. My ideal week is helping me make sure I take time for prayer everyday because I have a set-aside time for prayer everyday.

Now that I’ve shared my goals with you, I’d love to hear from you! What are your goals for this upcoming month, semester, or year? What habits or areas would you like to maintain or grow in this year?

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Teresa. I am a photographer, writer, teacher, reader, tea drinker, and campus missionary from Minnesota. I'm currently living in Texas where I'm adjusting to the warm weather and fast driving. I love farmers markets, fresh flowers, art supplies, libraries, thrift stores, museums, and bike rides. I am excited to share my journey with you, so grab a cup of tea and take a look around.

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